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Day xx 2/11/2022
I really need to get back to trees and skies, challenge is slipping! Today felt like a productive day… sort of, except all I did was work on the David’s Nose cast. It is probably one of the worst casts I’ve done in a while, struggled to get into it.
- I did my usual morning reading of Artistic Anatomy of Trees, from which I’m learning a great deal.
Practice Time: 3h
Day 76 3/11/2022
- I spent a bit of time just copying some of the drawings from Artistic Anatomy of Trees. I thought these little drawings were very atmospheric and suggestive, so I wanted to see how it was done. The idea being I might be able to go out into the landscape and capture similar little compositions that can act as value and compositional studies.
- I worked on this portrait a bit more – it’s a total disaster and time sink. I debated binning and starting again, but I want to know what I’m doing wrong. Until I figure this out, it doesn’t seem worth stopping. I want a lesson or a painting. So I’ll give it another hour.
I don’t think I did any reading today, which is unusual!
Practice Time: 3h
Day 77 4/11/2022
- I watched a bit of BGD on drawing a still life. I’m hoping to finish watching the section, and assignments, before tomorrow’s coaching session.
- I “finished” the portrait sketch I had been working on. A real wrestling match. Not happy with the end result, but I just need to move on…
- I worked for a little while on the master study. I’m also hoping to get this in a reasonable state before tomorrow’s coaching session.
Kearns’ Blog
- He talks about how artists need to know the cultural context of their art. A broad liberal arts education. This means:
- History, e.g. western civilisation, Britain
- Great literary works, theatre, poetry, etc – especially what was popular in periods of painting you enjoy
- The Bible, Roman and Greek Mythology, legends and folk tales
- Architecture
- Furniture and design of household items
- History of western music
- Industrial and mechanical design
- Regional tastes
Practice Time: 3h
Day 78 5/11/2022
I’m writing this a few days after the fact and I’ve totally forgotten what I did this day. I think…
- I tinkered with yesterday’s portrait some more, unhappy with it generally.
- I spent another hour on the master study.
- I watched the 3 value thumbnail exercise for BGD and completed half the assignment.
- I also had the coaching session with Joshua, here was my week’s worth of work.
Feedback:
- Be careful, the zygomatic bone doesn’t attach to the top of the ear, but the opening. You keep drawing to too high.
- The far side eye is too close to the nose and too small. The big structure of the plane isn’t reading.
- Take note of what Todorvich is teaching, he’s emphasising a clear value statement. Yours is too mushy, transitions too muddy. Make strong design choices and clearer shapes. You need to know what the form is doing, and never do the same thing twice if you can help it.
- From the course: “That’s always my emphasis, I want to work in a way where we see it as a sculpture that we have control over it in terms of the form and the size of planes. That’s where we’ll get our likeness if anything, is in the sculpting of these big forms, and the big sense of light and space and atmosphere, not necessarily rendering of these small shapes to a literal depiction of something we’re trying to copy”
- Joshua looked at my nose cast drawing and noted similar things, the need for clearer and simpler forms, then getting the nuance. Work on simpler constructions before adding detail.
Practice Time: 3h
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Day 79 6/11/2022
- I watched more of BGD, drew some more thumbnails, and started turning the 3 value thumbnail into a finished sketch. I didn’t quite complete it, and forgot to take an in-progress picture.
- I think I spent 30 minutes on the master study too – it’s coming along really slowly.
Practice Time: 3h
Day x 7/11/2022
- I read a chapter in Artistic Anatomy of Trees. I started to copy some of the illustrations, but didn’t get very far – will do this again tomorrow as there are some beautiful sketches in it.
- I finished watching Finding Your Voice As An Artist, good to finish one of the in-progress courses. Next up, finish Traditional Composition
- I started watching the Beginner’s Guide To Drawing lectures on gesture – scary stuff!
- I spent a bit of time finishing up the previous day’s sketch. Main lesson was to work in charcoal more, it’s an uncomfortable material for me.
- I watched the Vanna demo of Introduction to Portrait Painting. I spent 2 hour on a portrait sketch, I cut myself off as not to overrun. I tried to incorporate the advice I received about clear value statements and easy to read designs. Unsure if successful.
- I read a bit of Kearns’ blog, mostly about painting in the snow, which isn’t particularly applicable to me – but interesting as always.
I’ve had a bit of a ‘road to Damascus’ moment, and want to try and be stricter with my time, cutting out silly habits that aren’t benefiting my art practice, my relationships, or making life better in anyway (e.g. reading the news). Today felt more productive already, got a fair bit of practice and probably an equal amount of theory.
Practice Time: 3h 30m
Day 80 8/11/2022
- I watched the whole BGD section on gesture and figure – which was very interesting. I spent most of my practice time today on the assignments. The assignment first called for drawing figures based on a centre axes and forms, and then using passive/active contours. I’m not sure I understand the difference. Tough stuff! I’m looking forward to having these critiqued, simply because there’s such a big scope for improvement. Aside from taking Huston’s Constructive Figure Drawing course when I first signed up with NMA 2 years ago, I haven’t done any figure work.
- I also copied a series of illustrations from Artistic Anatomy of Trees, employing a bit about what I learned from figure gesture.
A really productive day, on top of a lot of time practising – I also managed a couple hours of theory. Getting up early is definitely enabling a couple more hours of art practice. More days like this please!
Practice Time: 4h
Thanks Dana! Welcome to the NMA – I look forward to seeing your work!
Don’t forget to check out Discord if you want to get involved in the community, it’s a bit livelier than the forum 🙂
Day 81 9/11/2022
- I actually got outside to paint for the first time in a couple weeks (due to weather) – this was to make a little something for the Sketch Swap club we’ve created on Discord. Can’t spoil the surprise by posting it here. I’ve got another two to make, and this weekend is looking hopeful weather wise.
- I worked a bit more on assignment 2 for BGD, figures made of simple forms – not totally sure I’m ‘getting it’, but hey ho.
Practice Time: 5h
I’m unsure this is actually right, five hours?! My Pomodoro timer says I did 4h, but I also spent an hour outside. So I guess this is right – but it didn’t feel like I did much for the time… I think I’m spending 10-15 mins on each figure, rather the recommended 5 minutes.
Day x 10/11/2022
- I finished watching the Vanna demo from Introduction to Portrait Painting, and completed another exercise. It was not particularly successful – I think the dynamic tilt of the head and foreshortening caused drawing issues, which coupled with painting challenges, meant the whole thing was tough. It’s pictures like these that make me think I ought to have spent more time on a head drawing course before jumping into painting. Oh well, too late now!
- I did a little tree drawing in my sketchbook, but I’ll finish it up and post tomorrow.
Practice Time: 4 hours
I’m putting in some good time, but I think I may be faffing over details as I don’t have more to show for it. Hmmm.
Day 82 11/11/2022
- I completed the BGD exercise of figures with chiaroscuro. I should probably do a few more before moving on, but I might save this for Force.
- I completed a little tree sketch from reference, nothing fancy.
- I started on an Asaro planes of the head, will finish it tomorrow.
Practice Hours: 5h
Day 83 12/11/2022
- I spent a fantastic 2.5 hours painting outside. I began this session with compositional thumbnails – something I’ve never really done. I challenged myself to do at least 9. Useful exercise.
I was pleased what I ended up with, but it definitely needs another 3-4 hours. It’s the largest canvas I’ve yet worked on, so I’m going to try and make a mini ‘project’ of it.
- I finished up an Asaro Planes of the Head exercise. This was done in charcoal, which is not my most comfortable medium so I’m trying to use it when I can.
Practice Time: 4h
Day 84 13/11/2022
- More compositional thumbnails before starting to paint outdoors. I didn’t feel particularly thrilled about any of them – which perhaps is a sign you shouldn’t go ahead with the painting? But I did think about a thumbnail ‘template’ exercise I could use based on Payne’s Composition of Outdoor Painting, where you use his armatures to compose a scene differently.
- 2.5 hours outside – bit of a tough time of it. Another work in progress. It’ll give me something to work on if the weather is bad in the week.
- Worked for an hour on yesterday’s painting. I’m drifting between hating and loving it. It’s a work-in-progress, going to let it dry before starting to work into it some more. It is fun working on a bigger canvas though, feels like. a ‘proper painting’. It’s also a higher major key than my usual.
- I also drew a couple figures. I’m going to make this part of my practice routine as not to lose the learning ahead of taking Force and/or Dynamic Gesture. Too lazy to take a picture, I’ll one tomorrow when I complete the page.
Practice Time: 5h 30m – strong day.
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